Maple syrup is one of Canada’s most iconic sweet treats, loved for its unique flavour and natural origin. However,...
Indigenous Canadian cuisine: a little-known culinary history
Indigenous cuisine in pre-colonial times
Originally, indigenous cuisine is a cuisine of survival and subsistence. For Inuit and First Nations tribes, waste is a lack of respect. Although culinary traditions and practices vary depending on the tribes and territories where they are located, indigenous cuisine emphasizes balance with our environment and respect for all forms of life.
Seasonality is central and the cuisine is based around gathering, hunting and preservation. Small and large game (bison, moose, hare, muskrat, bear, beaver, whale, seal) have an important place in the original indigenous diet. The natives consumed plants found in the wild, particularly in harvesting wild blueberries, cranberries, elderberries, atokas (cranberries), blackberries and raspberries. Syrup, sugar and maple sap were also part of the native diet.
They demonstrated real ecological sensitivity aimed at using the properties of each plant to form a team that protects itself and pulls itself up. The cultivation of the three sisters (a Haudenosaunee term) of squash, corn and beans illustrates practices carried out with respect and interdependence of species.
It is an efficiency that they reproduce in all facets of indigenous cuisines. For example, apart from meat, everything is used in animals. Fur was used to make boots, clothing or help build homes, fishing nets or musical instruments. We make cretons with bear fat, or mix it with blueberries to make a kind of dessert. The bones were carved into tools.
European colonization: consequences on the cuisine and diet of the natives
Exchanges with Europeans will profoundly change the habits of the first inhabitants of Canada. Oppression will notably make them give up many techniques and ingredients traditionally used.
When the Europeans arrived
Food exchanges between the first settlers and indigenous peoples already clearly favored Europeans. They also thrived by adapting indigenous techniques for food preparation. For example, they learned to harvest wild rice in the fall and maple syrup in the spring.
The example of pemmican is particularly revealing of the oppressive character of Europeans. It is a traditional indigenous food consisting of meat, fat and sometimes dried berries. It should be noted that fur traders depended on trade with the natives to feed themselves over time. Indeed, the very long journey between Europe and the Americas did not allow us to keep enough provisions once we arrived. From 1821, the Hudson's Bay Company controlled the market thanks to its monopoly on the fur trade. It then lowered the price of pemmican, which forced the natives to increase their production in order to compensate for the shortfall. This European decision also had another disastrous consequence for the natives: it contributed to the elimination of the plains bison. Without bison, the natives became dependent on the government for their livelihood.
The politics of cultural annihilation
All the settlers' measures for the natives were put in place with the aim of eliminating the old by assimilating the new. Examples include the signing of treaties exchanging vital hunting grounds for farmland, livestock and meager sums of money, the banning of potlatch ceremonies and the Progressive Civilization Act.
The separation of people from their historical food systems and lands is a function of colonialism. The history of the formation of Canada is one of legislation that aimed to eliminate First Nations, Inuit and Métis people, including erasing indigenous food cultures.
Food and culinary traditions are usually skills passed down from generation to generation. For the indigenous peoples of Canada, this transmission was voluntarily stopped as part of the annihilation of culture and Native American art and Inuit led by the settlers.
Government-funded, church-run residential schools contributed greatly to the suppression of indigenous cultures. In addition to conditioning the children to life on the reserve, they also suffered a multitude of severe mistreatment there. The annihilation of the old culture and the assimilation of that chosen by the colonists was only possible by the banning of all their ancient traditions and ceremonies.
Colonization of Canada: a heavy toll for indigenous tribes
More than a century later, we notice that indigenous populations are much more affected by food insecurity than the rest of the Canadian population. A Western diet was imposed on them, but without giving them access or the means to eat healthily. As a result, rates of diabetes and cardiovascular disease are very high among Inuit and First Nations.
Canada and the Vatican have recognized the atrocities that were committed against indigenous populations not long ago. Unfortunately, the latter are still faced with problems of discrimination, malnutrition and internal displacement.
Canadian Indigenous Cuisine Today
Food and cooking are at the heart of every celebration. They are essential for the maintenance and transmission of culture within a community. For many of them, returning to the cuisine of their ancestors is recognized as a way to exorcise the painful past and regain control of their existence. Today, all Aboriginal tribes are “decolonizing” their original culture, particularly their culinary culture.
The natives must, however, combine this return to their roots with the modernity of today's world. If tradition dictates that one hunts, gathers and fishes on a reserve for one's livelihood, leaving one's community to open a restaurant in town may be seen as an aberration. This is the reason why there are still few Aboriginal restaurants in Canada. Cultural reappropriation is first and foremost a personal and private matter. However, this does not prevent many indigenous chefs from getting into the restaurant business, especially to promote and share Canadian indigenous cuisines.
For nearly a century, children from indigenous tribes and communities were forced to stay in residential schools where they were deprived of their cultures and traditions. These establishments were only banned in 1996, which is why the notion of chefs of indigenous origin is recent. The emergence of these professionals corresponds to the first generation of indigenous children capable of embracing and reestablishing their culture and culinary identity. They still come up against the modern world, notably with the ban on serving game or the reaction of the Western world to the – traditional and respectful – consumption of seal by Inuit tribes.
However, things are slowly changing and steps are being taken towards reconciliation between the government and the indigenous tribes. The generation of Millennials in particular seems to understand the problems of these people, their history and what needs to change. Legislation and views on indigenous cuisine are certainly evolving.
Les Trésors d’Érable: our store of Canadian products
We invite you to discover our selection of Canadian products in our online store. Delicatessen, maple products, condiments, spices and seasoning or decoration: bring a little bit of Canada home to travel without moving! Note that we offer maple syrup - Golden Or amber - in different packaging on our site.
Did you know that themaple water was already consumed by indigenous tribes for its contributions? This drink is also available on our site; https://lestresorsderable.com/en/
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